1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to instrument strings of the type that are most commonly used on modern electric guitars. More particularly, the present invention relates to guides that are used in conjunction with guitar strings to help the guitar strings resist breakage during use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hand strummed stringed instruments have been in existence for many centuries. During that period of time, such stringed instruments have evolved into many different forms. One of those forms came is the acoustical guitar. Acoustical guitars have a hollow body and a neck that extends from the body. A plurality of strings are strung from the neck across an opening in the body. As the strings are strummed, the vibration of the string resonates in the hollow body of the guitar, thus amplifying the sound of the string.
In an acoustic guitar, the strings are attached to the top of the neck with tuning pegs or geared tuning mechanisms. These devices are used to adjust the tension in the guitar strings. At the opposite end of the guitar strings, the strings attach to a saddle block that firmly anchors the guitar strings in place.
In the middle of the twentieth century, the design of guitars again evolved, thereby introducing the electric guitar. Originally, electric guitars where merely acoustical guitars with an acoustical transducer placed within the hollow body of the guitar. The acoustical transducer was connected to an electrical amplifier and a speaker that reproduced the sound of the guitar.
As electrical guitar designs matured, the entire design of the guitar was designed around its electrical components. In modern electrical guitar designs, the body of the guitar is no longer hollow. Rather the body of the guitar is solid. Positioned below the stings is now an electrical pick-up. The electrical pick-up directly converts the vibrations of the guitar strings into corresponding electrical signals that can be amplified, altered and broadcast by other electronic devices.
Along with the advent of the solid guitar body came a new way to mount guitar strings to the guitar body. Many modern electrical guitars have apertures formed through the solid body. The apertures have a diameter just wide enough to enable the passage of a guitar string through the aperture. Specialized guitar strings are produced for use with such electric guitars. The specialized strings terminate at one end with enlarged end caps. Such strings are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,257 to Schaller, entitled Method Of Manufacturing Guitar Strings And Guitar Strings Resulting From Such Method. The strings can pass through the apertures in the guitar, but the end caps cannot. As such, by threading such a specialized guitar string through an aperture in the guitar body, the guitar string becomes firmly anchored in place.
Electric guitar strings are passed from the rear of the guitar body toward the front of the guitar body. As the strings pass through the guitar body, the guitar strings fold over a bridge assembly before extending across the guitar body and up to the neck of the guitar. The bridge assembly in an electric guitar typically contains metal saddles. The guitar strings abut and bend against the saddles as the guitar strings turn toward the neck of the guitar.
As the guitar is played, the strings vibrate. Some of this vibration is experienced at the interface between the guitar strings and the saddles in the bridge assembly. As the guitar strings vibrate, the strings wear against the saddle. Furthermore, the point of contact against the saddle is a stress concentration point for the guitar strings. Eventually, the guitar strings wear to a point where the stress on the string causes them to break. The break on the string is typically right at the point where the string contacts the saddle.
In the prior art, there have been different techniques used that are intended to help a guitar string resist breakage. One technique is to reinforce the guitar string at the point where the guitar string contacts the saddle in the bridge assembly. Such prior art techniques are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,976 to Ball, entitled Reinforced Musical Instrument String. This technique works, however, the reinforcements add significantly to the cost of the guitar strings.
Another technique used to reduce guitar string breakage, is to increase the curvature of the saddle at the point where the string abuts the saddle. Such prior art techniques are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,027 to Dunwoodle, entitled Bridge For A Stringed Instrument. Such devices do reduce the number of guitar string breakages. However, the guitar string still does wear against a metal saddle and does eventually wear to a point of breakage.
Recognizing that wear is caused by the contact of the metal guitar string against the metal saddle, pads have been developed that are intended to be placed between the string and the saddle. Such prior art pads are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,643, entitled Guitar String Support. The problem associated with such pads is that they are very difficult to correctly position between the guitar string and the saddle. Furthermore, the pad conforms to the shape of the saddle, thus the guitar string still wears against a salient point. This often causes the pad to prematurely wear away. This effects the protection provided to the guitar strings by the pads and the tuning of the guitar strings.
A need therefore exists for a device that can prevent wear between a guitar string and a saddle of a bridge assembly, yet is easy to install and is inexpensive. This need is provided by the present invention as described and claimed below.